James Sampley served as pastor of FBC Ashville from 1996 to 2013 and of James Memorial Baptist Church in Gadsden from 1981 to 1987. He also served as pastor of Faith Baptist Church in West Blocton while he was a student at Samford.
Don Johnson’s 71 years of ministry included 27 years at Tuskegee Lee Association — he retired as director of missions in 2006. He died Dec. 17.
Brenda Lovelady Spahn, who founded The Lovelady Center in Birmingham 20 years ago, died Dec. 18. She was 75. More than 19,600 women have come through the program she started in 2004.
Chette Williams, a longtime Auburn University football chaplain, died Dec. 15 after falling into the water at Lake Martin while getting off his pontoon boat.
Alabaster’s Westwood Baptist Church and Westwood en Español congregations see themselves as partners in a mission to reach their community, something that was illustrated by their joint baptisms in the creek in Montevallo this year.
“It’s a church with a heart to reach Russellville and the world with the gospel, and they allowed me to be their pastor along for this journey,” said pastor Wade Wallace, who has served at Calvary Baptist Church in Russellville 20 years.
Jack Kinley, who served more than 64 years as a pastor, died Nov. 24. Later in life after losing most of his sight, Kinley started Vision Tape Ministry, which distributed Christian materials to visually impaired people around the world.
An overnight fire at FBC Abbeville consumed most of the church’s facilities, according to Pastor Ricky Sowell. Church members are gathering there this morning (Dec. 4) to share memories and “trust God with what’s next.”
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